European Qualifier Tournament Structure

The European Qualifier Tournament (EQT) will use a 3-group, 4-team round robin structure on Day 1, followed by a seeded bracket on Day 2 of the tournament, with playoffs to determine EQC D1 and D2 qualification.

Day 1 – Groups

The groups are determined using a ranked, alternating-region snake draw. In order to split teams into pools the 12 EQT qualifying teams from regionals were ranked based on the standard QuidditchUK final tournament ranking criteria (i.e. tournament rank, QPD, etc.)

Regional rank

Overall rank

Seed

Team

QPD

N1

1

1

Velociraptors

630

S1

2

1

Werewolves of London 1

520

S2

3

1

London Quidditch Club

560

N2

4

2

Megalodons

320

S3

5

2

London Unspeakables

250

N3

6

2

Holyrood Hippogriffs 1

70

N4

7

3

Glasgow Grim Reapers

260

S4

8

3

Southampton Quidditch Club 1

170

N5

9

3

Liverpuddly Cannons

270

S5

10

4

Oxford Mammoths

130

S6

11

4

Werewolves of London 2

70

S7

12

4

Bathilisks

-440

The first seed teams were allocated to groups in the order A to C, selecting by overall rank.

The second seeds were then drawn into groups in the order C to A, selecting the highest-ranked team available from the opposite region to the first seed.

The third seeds were drawn in the order A to C, selecting the highest-ranked team available from the same region as the first seed.

Finally, the fourth seeds were drawn in the order C to A, selecting the highest-ranked team available from the opposite region to the first seed, and where this became impossible, selecting by overall rank.

A

B

C

N1

S1

S2

S3

N3

N2

N4

S4

S5

S7

S6

N5

The final group draw for EQT 2019 is therefore:

A

B

C

Velociraptors

Werewolves of London Firsts

London Quidditch Club

London Unspeakables

Holyrood Hippogriffs Firsts

Megalodons

Glasgow Grim Reapers

Southampton Quidditch Club Firsts

Oxford Mammoths

Bathilisks

Werewolves of London Seconds

Liverpuddly Cannons

This method of drawing groups was selected to ensure fair seeding based on performance at regionals while creating as few rematches from regionals as possible. A total of three matches on Day 1 of EQT are repeated from regionals, while groups seeded by overall ranking without alternating regions would have resulted in seven rematches on Day 1.

Day 2 – Bracket

After Day 1, teams will be ranked using the usual QuidditchUK tournament ranking procedures. These rankings will be used to seed the bracket below. There is no policy in place to prevent replays of games from Day 1, as this would effectively involve adjusting teams’ rankings which may unfairly advantage or disadvantage teams.

Teams are guaranteed a minimum of 2 games on Day 2 of the tournament.

Semi-finalists automatically qualify for EQC Division 1, and will continue to play off for medals and EQC seeding.

Teams losing either their play-in game or quarter-final will enter into a playoff bracket for EQC qualification.

Losers of the first round of this bracket are eliminated from the tournament, and do not qualify for EQC.

Winners of the second round of this bracket qualify for EQC Division 1 and losers qualify for EQC Division 2.

Due to venue time constraints, no further playoffs will be held to determine EQC seeding for teams ranked 5/6 and 7/8 – these will be determined via the standard final tournament ranking criteria.